Mockingbird

Chapter Three

Chapter Three:

"We're here," Harry says as we pull into a driveway of a big brick house, with a waterfall in the front yard.

"Remember that pond?" Elizabeth asks. She smiles. "You used to jump around and get so dirty in that all of the time."

As much as I wanted to smile and laugh along with my 'new mother', I was just too depressed to find that I wasn't going back with LoriJean... I better get used to calling her that.

I just didn't understand how this all happened. Harry and Elizabeth seem like the greatest parents in the world, but if they were, I wouldn't have been gone for thirteen years.

As my, quote on quote, family leads me into my, quote on quote, home, I look around and see how lovely it is.

Harry grabs me by the arm and pulls me aside for a moment.

"Evelyn, look, I -"

"Holland, please."

Harry sighs. "Holland," he says without enthusiasm. "I know Elizabeth very well obviously, and I know that she'll be asking if you remember every little detail here. Maybe just pretend like you do for a couple of things. I promise, it'll make her mood one hundred percent better."

"Why should I pretend if I don't know?" I say.

"Good question," he says. "Elizabeth was and always has been close to her kids ever since you were little. I was on the road with my current job then, and I honestly didn't know anything about you until I heard you were kidnapped. Talk about a bad dad, huh?"

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"This is the first time I'm actually meeting you, Holland," Harry says. "My job was incredibly important bam then. I wasn't there when you and Ellen were born, and I was on the road for four years after that.

"I was there when Hunter was born, and that's when I first met Ellen, when I could've met you... Only if I protected you more."

I stare at Harry as he seems like his heart had just been broken. The dad I never had... I can already tell he's got the biggest heart.

"I'm sorry," he says, burying his head in his hands.

"It's alright... dad."

Harry looked up with such bright eyes, the first time his own daughter had called him dad.

You know, maybe I can make an exception to this family. I just need to give it a try out. I'm sure as hell not gonna have a good life with a negative attitude.

Harry patted me on the shoulder, and mouthed the word 'Thanks', but I pulled him into a hug. I knew he needed that.

Elizabeth showed me up to the room that I shared with Ellen.

The room was bright blue peacock colors, with great interior design everywhere.

There were two beds on each side of the room. They both had signs hanging above them.

One of them said Ellen Grace, and the other said Evelyn Roseanna.

I turned to Elizabeth and said, "With all due respect, Elizabeth, do you mind if I change that?" I pointed to the sign above 'my' bed.

Elizabeth sighed, but Harry put a hand on her shoulder.

"Beth, let her make a new one," he says. "It's going to take some time for her to get used to this, just let her redecorate for a while."

"What exactly will you be putting on the new sign, Evelyn?"

"El, don't-"

"Holland Infiniti," I say.

"Evelyn, I can't let you put that name up there," she says.

"Please, call me Holland!"

Elizabeth sighed. "I'll call you Holly, for now, but you will be called Evelyn Roseanna after court, do you understand young lady?"

"Yes, master," I mumbled.

"What was that?" Elizabeth asks.

"I said okay."

She stormed out of the room, Ellen following behind her.

"I'll get you some paint and a blue sign tomorrow for you to put Holland Infiniti on," Harry says with a smirk.

I laugh. "Thanks. She's going to have to get some getting used to," I refer to Elizabeth.

"Tell me about it," Harry laughs. "I've been with her for twenty two years of my life and I'm still not used to her."

We both share our first laugh, as father and daughter. I can see our relationship going far...

"Let's get you something to eat, shall we?"